The swim up bar, the beach tiki hut, and the bracelet that allows unlimited access to both. This, my friends, is what all-inclusives are all about!
If your mentality is anything like mine, then this guide is for you.
Usually on vacation, we throw caution to the wind and load up our plates with breakfast sausages, bacon, French fries, and whatever else we feel we must take advantage of on the buffet table. However, not only do we tend to eat what we want, we drink what we want as well. Without hesitation, we order margaritas, pina coladas, and other sugary drinks that we just love to indulge in while basking in the sun.
The question is, if you were properly informed, would you still make the same decisions?
Here is a list of drinks that are commonly ordered as well as suggestions for some alternatives, along with their calorie counts. You might be surprised at what you are allowing yourself to sip on.
Don’t Drink: ‘Screwdriver’
- 146 calories / serving and 9 g of sugar.
Drink: ‘Bloody Mary’
- 118 calories / serving and 1 g of sugar.
Don’t Drink: ‘Whiskey Sour’
- 184 calories / serving and 18 g of sugar.
Drink: ‘Presbyterian’
- 123 calories / serving and 9 g of sugar.
Don’t Drink: ‘Black Russian’
- 192 calories / serving and 8 g of sugar.
Drink: ‘Irish Coffee’
- 147 calories / serving and 9 g of sugar.
Don’t Drink: ‘Pina Colada’
- 200 calories / serving and 10 g of sugar.
Drink: ‘White Rum, Soda and Pineapple Juice’
- 120 calories / serving and 6 g of sugar.
A general rule of thumb, darker alcoholic beverages usually contain more congeners (byproducts of fermentation). They are toxic and provide more for the liver to deal with, and worsen the effects of a hangover. Also, it is a general rule of thumb that clearer spirits have a lower calorie count.
To minimize hangovers and sugar intake on your vacation, try to stick with drinks that are lower in sugar and lighter in colour.
Gillian Johnson, BA CSCS